Drabbles, Anyone?
by bluetarako
Summary: Zutara and Taang drabbles or oneshots or whatever the heck you wanna call them. Mostly Zutara. Rated for language and some character death. :D
1. 1000 Words

_Okay, first off, I'm telling you now that I don't do drabbles very often. Inspiration just doesn't come as often for them as my stories so this won't be updated very often. Luckily I've already got a few reserved for you. _

I owe the inspiration for this one to Final Fantasy X-2. It's basically a songfic and it's my first one of those, so don't be cheesed off. This one will make you cry and it's the actual song that goes along with this scene in FF. If you've seen it, kudos to you!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Avatar, Final Fantasy, or _"1000 Words"_ by Sweetbox.  
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They called me to battle. It was that simple. All the benders in Ba Sing Se were called to the front lines, even Aang. Since Zuko wasn't a bender inside the city walls, he didn't have to go, but he didn't want me to go either.

"You could die out there," he had whispered.

"I have to do my part to end this war," I replied calmly.

"I promise I'll find a way to stop this."

_I know that you're hiding things  
Using gentle words to shelter me  
Your words were like a dream  
But dreams could never fool me  
Not that easily_

The next thing I know, he's telling me about this super machine he found that could stop the war. I had heard rumors about it when the Dai Li didn't think anyone was listening. It's strength was supposed to be enough to end the war and I wondered why no one had used it before. Then they answered my questions when they said it had never been used before and could destroy not only the Fire Nation, but the whole world. I had to stop Zuko.

_I acted so distant then  
Didn't say goodbye before you left  
But I was listening  
You'll fight your battles far from me  
Far too easily_

He was gone by the time I got to his home in the bad part of the city. His uncle told me he had been gone for a while. I took off and found him in a heavily guarded part of Ba Sing Se and got past the guards easily, but they ran after me. He was already activating the machine when I found him. I stood right in the spot that the machine was aimed for so he wouldn't fire it.

"Zuko, stop!" I yelled, waving my arms frantically.

He looked up and saw me with an obviously confused look on his face. Just then, the guards caught up with us and aimed some odd looking weapons at us. He jumped down and ran to me, taking me in his arms as if trying to protect me.

_Cause a thousand words  
Call out through the ages  
They'll fly to you  
Even though we can't see, I know they're reaching you  
Suspended on silver wings _

Oh a thousand words  
One thousand embraces  
Will cradle you  
Making all of your weary days seem far away  
They'll hold you forever

I looked into his eyes, knowing this was it. He looked back at me, staring deep into my eyes and right into my very soul. This was the last time he would hold me in his strong embrace. No words were exchanged verbally, everything that was needed to be said was said in each other's eyes. We loved each other. We knew it and didn't care that anyone else did. I was on the verge of tears, but I tried to smile for him one last time. Before we knew it, odd popping sounds came from the guards' weapons and we were falling. All my few memories with him flashed before my eyes and a tear escaped my eye as I fell.

_Oh a thousand words  
Have never been spoken  
They'll fly to you  
They'll carry you home and back into my arms  
Suspended on silver wings ohhh_

He tried to reach for me from where he landed on the ground, blood starting to sink into his green robes. All I could do was move my fingers a bit and let another tear fall. I knew there was no coming out of this and I only thanked La that he was with me when I fell for good.

_And a thousand words  
Call out through the ages  
They'll cradle you  
Turning all of the lonely years to only days  
They'll hold you forever_

And then there was nothing.. nothing but a memory of us and our sacrifice for the war..  
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**Thanks again to Final Fantasy X-2 for the inspiration for this drabble/songfic. I actually have the video for that concert from the game on my computer. Anyway, I hope you like it and I hope you review! **

Jenn


	2. Mud Wrestling

_This is the featured Drabble of the Month on the site **Katara-water25** and I are working on. The link to it is in my profile if you want to check it out. Enjoy!_

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"You are so arrogant!"

"You're stubborn!"

"You are too!"

"At least I know when to quit!"

"No you don't! You'd never admit defeat even in death!"

The two teenagers wrestled around the in the mud and rain. They were filthy but they didn't care as long as they made their point. When the others came back to the campsite, all they could really do was watch. It had become a routine thing since the two firebenders joined their group.

"Get off, you're hurting me!"

"Admit that I won and I will."

"Never!"

She flipped him over her head and jumped up, covered in the thick mud and out of breath. He got to his feet and lit a fireball while she called all the rain to her for a big whip. He let out a battle cry and shot, the rain weakening it greatly as it started pouring harder.

"Just give up, you're weak in the rain!"

"I am **NOT** weak!"

He ran and tackled her, landing in the mud again. He pinned her wrists to the wet ground and stared into her cool blue eyes. With a flick of her fingers, the mud was dripping from his face.

"I win."

She burst into laughter at the sight, and amazingly, so did he.

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**Did you love it? I did. Review!**

**Jenn**


	3. She's Always There

_I'm glad I got such a good response to my '1000 Words' drabble. Anyway, here's another one that I actually just wrote the other day._

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Just when everything was going my way, she showed up. She was always there, always in my way, always the ever-present nuisance in my quest for honor. She never gave up without a fight and I secretly admired that particular quality she held. Her stubborness, temper, strength in her bending skills, all were admirable because they all reminded me of.. well, myself. Still, she was always there to stop me and that fact alone made me hate her.

"Aang!"

The Avatar didn't respond. I had knocked him out cold when we battled in the abbey. Luckily the bounty hunter's shirshu had already dealt with his pest of a flying beaver or whatever that thing was. I'd made it out without a scratch while the Water Tribe brats were still paralyzed on the ground. I'm not sure how she was on her feet so fast, but here she was.. and just my luck, it starts raining. Now she's more than surrounded by her element, but I couldn't let that discourage me. I _will_ have my prize.

"Don't try to stop me, peasant. You're no match for me."

"Give him back, Zuko!"

"You aren't getting your little boyfriend back, wench."

"He's not my boyfriend and stop calling me names! That's so childish!"

I dropped the boy on the ground at my feet and we both took our stances. Had I just walked away, she would've done something so I figured we might as well get this over with so I can go home. _Home.._

"AGH!" She let out a battle cry and flung a water whip at me that I easily turned to steam with a fireball. I threw blast after blast at her feet, making her dance back a few steps. She jumped back up closer to me and blew, causing the rain that drenched my uniform to freeze. I snorted steam from my nostrils and unfroze myself just in time to catch the girl who had unceremoniously fallen into my arms after tripping over her own two feet. We rolled down a big hill and landed hard in the sand of the beach below, and of course I had to land on top.

Her blue eyes, which had been squeezed shut on the way down, finally reappeared and stared at me. She wasn't afraid, yet another thing I had to respect about this girl. I could feel my face being drawn down to hers, my mind screaming at me to stop, but I couldn't. Not until I knew what all the fuss was about. Surprisingly, she didn't draw back. If anything, she leaned in and met my lips with hers. So there we were, on a beach in the rain making out, my first kiss and most likely hers as well.. shared with the enemy. I had to admit, it was a bit romantic. Uncle would be proud when and_ if_ I told him about it. Finally, she pulled back and I could tell she wanted to say something.

"Get.. off.. can't.. breath.." she gasped, then I realized I was still laying on her chest. I jumped up and helped her up, mumbling a quick apology. "Um.. thanks, I guess. I should go now."

"We'll meet again, girl."

"It's Katara."

I nodded to her. That was a beautiful name. Katara. I stood on the beach and watched her jog back up the hill to her friend, the Avatar. She picked him up and carried him back to the abbey without another glance over her shoulder for me. I sighed and walked back to my ship where, surprisingly, my uncle was already waiting for me.

"Prince Zuko, what happened to you?"

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**I like how this one came out. I'm not one for tampering with older episodes, but this one just came to me. You know the routine! R&R!**

**Jenn**


	4. Get Away From My Sister!

_Okay my lovely fans, here's the next one!_

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At first, I wasn't sure if he was serious. I looked at his eyes, but he kept looking away from me as if he were embarassed about it. I could tell the silence was getting to him, but I didn't know what to say.

"N-nevermind, just forget I said anything," he finally said. He turned and was about to walk away, but I couldn't let it be like this.

"Wait."

I put my hand on his arm to stop him from leaving, but I still wasn't sure about what I was doing. He turned slowly to look at me and I could see a mixture of feelings in those beautiful golden eyes, the ones that had at one time glared at me with such a hatred that I couldn't begin to describe. That look had made me feel weak, but now it just made me weak in the knees.

I took a step closer, playing with the end of my braid with the hand that was nervously tucked behind my back. Another step. I wasn't sure what my feet were telling me to do, but they were telling me something. My heart was pounding so hard, I thought he could hear it too. Another step. I was so nervous and scared and unsure, but at the same time, completely calm and confident. My feet had brought me only inches from his face. He looked at me and I looked at him. My blue against his gold.

"I love you too," I whispered.

I felt his hand under my chin as he brought my face to his. The instant our lips touched, my stomach flipped, my heart skipped a beat, my mind went blank, and I was no longer in control. I thought this had to be love. His arms slowly traveled around my waist and mine snaked up his muscular chest and around his neck. I ran my fingers through his short, dark hair. We both heard someone approaching but we didn't care. Neither of us wanted this moment to end.

All we remember hearing was, "Get away from my sister!"

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**Hehe, cuteness! Hope you liked it! R&R!**

**Jenn**


	5. Two Lovers

_This one was just too easy. I figured since I messed with one episode, why not another? You'll love this one._

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"I hope you know this doesn't change anything."

"I never said it did."

"Shut up, girl."

"You started it."

"Wench."

"Spoiled brat."

"Stupid peasant."

"_Banished_ prince."

Zuko winced, but it went unnoticed by the waterbender. It was, after all, pretty dark in that cave. The only light they had was the dimming torch the girl had in her hands, not that Zuko couldn't use his firebending afterwards. They'd been walking around for about half an hour now looking for some kind of exit.

"Look at this," she said suddenly, running up ahead to some kind of door in front of them. "It's the exit! Help me get it open!"

Together they pushed hard and it finally gave way and rolled back. Zuko took the torch and looked inside. "This isn't an exit, it's a tomb."

They ventured in and looked around for some kind of clue as how to get out of there. Katara knelt down in front of some pictures and Zuko knelt beside her to see. "This tells the story of the two lovers," she whispered, tracing one of them. They read it silently to themselves, both of their eyes widening as they read on. "From warring villages and still loved each other? That's so _romantic_."

"That could never happen in real life," Zuko scoffed. He turned and held the torch up to the giant statues that took up the entire wall behind them. "Love is brightest in the dark," he read. Katara looked up at the engraving in the wall.

"Um, Zuko? I have a crazy idea.. nevermind, it's too crazy."

"If it's an idea, let's at least hear it."

"I was thinking.. well, the curse says we'll be trapped in here forever unless we trust in love. And here, it says that love is brightest in the dark and has a picture of them kissing."

"Where are you going with this?"

"Well.. what if we kissed?"

"Us kissing?"

She turned away and blushed furiously. "See? I told you it was crazy. Just forget-"

She was cut off when Zuko turned her around quickly and kissed her. And not one of those pecks on the cheek, either. The instant their lips met, electricity jolted through both of them and, much to their surprise, it wasn't unpleasant. Katara placed her hands on his chest and he cupped her face in his free hand.

Zuko was the one to pull away and was surprised to see Katara smiling. "I thought you said that could never happen in real life."

"I never said that." She was about to argue, but he dropped the torch and kissed her again, pressing her against the wall. The torch rolled into a small puddle and the darkness buried them instantly, but they didn't even seem to notice. And the glowing blue stones in the ceiling only seemed to fuel the steamy, pent-up passion of the firebender and waterbender.

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**WoOt! You know the routine, R&R!**

**Jenn**


	6. You Are My Life

I got this from a bulletin on Myspace lol. Hope it's okay!

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"Do I ever cross your mind?"

"No."

"Do you like me?"

"Not really."

"Do you want me?"

"No."

"Would you cry if I left?"

"No."

"Would you live for me?"

"No."

"Would you do anything for me?"

"No."

"Choose: me or your life?"

"My life."

Katara ran away in shock and pain and Zuko ran after her and said, "The reason you never cross my mind is because you're always on my mind. The reason why I don't like you is because I love you. The reason I don't want you is because I need you. The reason I wouldn't cry if you left is because I would die if you left. The reason I wouldn't live for you is because I would die for you. The reason why I'm not willing to do anything for you is because I would do everything for you. The reason I chose my life is because you **ARE** my life."

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Sweetness! Anyway, I hope you liked it. You know the routine, R&R!

Jenn


	7. Crossroads of Destiny

_SPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILERSPOILER_

_I know I just did a cave one, but I had to write this one after I found the season finale spoilers. Yay! I guess this is my take on what I want to happen. I'll try to do a Taang one next for all you Taang lovers out there. :D_

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"Katara, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Toph! Can you get us out?"

Toph reached forward and felt the giant pile of rocks in front of her. "I don't think so, if I move them it'll just cause another cave-in. See if you can find another way out from that way and we'll look on this side."

Katara sighed. "Okay, we'll try."

She couldn't see anything, but she knew who she got stuck with. Iroh had grabbed Aang and pulled him out of the way before he could tackle her to safety like last time, but luckily Zuko grabbed her. She waved it off, assuming it was merely instinct because, well, they hated each other. Now she figured he'd be stubborn as usual and refuse to light the cave up.

"Let's go, peasant," he growled. She could hear his footsteps walking away from her and she jogged to catch up to him, careful not to trip on anything.

"Could you provide some light, please?"

"You can't order me around."

"It wasn't an order, Zuko. I was asking politely if you could provide some light so I can see where I'm walking. I don't know about you, but I like my vision."

"I guess it's too bad you can't see in the dark, then."

"Zuko, please?"

He sighed and lit a flame in his palm. It threw odd shadows across their faces as they made their way through the cave. "Just so we're clear, I didn't do that because you asked. It was getting hard to see."

"Right."

"..."

"What?"

"Was that sarcasm?"

"No."

He growled and closed his hand, enveloping them in darkness again. Katara gasped, then narrowed her eyes in his direction and shoved him into the cave wall. He let out a grunt as his shoulder hit a sharp rock jutting out of the wall. The flamed popped back up as he examined his shoulder.

"Look what you did, filthy peasant!"

"Zuko, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"**YOU SHOVED ME! INTO A WALL! WHAT _DID_ YOU MEAN**?"

Katara uncorked her waterskin and bended some out to cover her hand. "Here, let me help."

"Stay away from me," he said, walking away.

"Zuko, I can help."

He froze. He remembered her saying that in the abandoned village when his uncle was hit. _Zuko, I can help.._ He turned around and reluctantly accepted it, wondering what she could possibly do to help. She placed her hand on his shoulder and he bit back a gasp when it started glowing blue. When she pulled her hand away, the wound was gone and his shoulder was wet.

"How'd you do that?"

"I'm a waterbender. Only a few powerful waterbenders have healing ablities. You'd know that if you actually cared about someone other than yourself."

"Hey, I care about my uncle!"

"Then why didn't you accept my help when I offered it? You don't have to be so stubborn all the time, Zuko. It's not weak to accept help, it's more weak to refuse it when you need it."

He narrowed his eyes and grabbed Katara's arms, pushing her roughly into the wall he had just been knocked into moments before and once again engulfing them in the darkness. "I am _NOT_ weak. You know nothing about me or my life. You are in no position to judge me, peasant."

"You won't let anyone know you. No one here wants to hurt you.. well, except for Sokka. Let your walls down and let someone in." She paused to look into his practically glowing golden eyes. "Let _me_ in."

She felt the grip on her arms loosen, but also felt something else. Something was drawing her closer to him. His eyes seemed to be doing it. Because it was so dark, she could hardly see anything, but his eyes seemed to glow and she could somehow tell they'd softened from their usual hard glare. He must've been under the same trance as her because she was shoved into the wall again, only this time his lips were on hers in a rough but passionate kiss. She didn't pull away in disgust like he thought she would. Instead, she leaned into it.

And, if only for a moment, he was happy.

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**Woot woot! Well, if only it would go that way. Meh, they get stuck in the cave together anyway so something's bound to happen, right? Hope and pray, Zutarians, hope and pray! And if you're wondering where I get my spoiler info, it helps to check the Distant Horizon forum. You know the routine, R&R!**

**Jenn**


	8. A Date With The Fire Nation

This story was written by my friend, Kody, but since he doesn't have an account and is too lazy to make one, he asked me to post this under mine. He's a moderator of my site, Bluetarako, and he's also a new fan of Zutara (I converted him!) after being a Maiko, Zujin, and Kataang supporter. This is his first ever Zutara story so be nice!

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It was getting late that night. Aang and the gang had just narrowly escaped the Fire Nation yet again. So they decided to camp for the night.

"We need to find some kind of shelter, it looks like it's about to rain," Aang pointed out.

"Aang, you and Sokka go look on the south side of the woods while Toph and I look on the north side. We will meet up on the west lake," Katara suggested.

"But Katara, how will we know what lake to go to? We are surrounded by water."

Sokka pulled out a map and handed it to Katara, "Here, you'll need this more than we will."

_"WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!?"_

"Nothing, all I'm saying is that guys don't need maps because we have a natural sense of direction while girls have, well...they have...nothing!" Sokka started to run into the woods while Aang flew along behind him.

"You know, the next time he says something like that...well...I'm not sure what I'll do but it will be what he deserves."

"Let's just go before he decides to come back for more."

They both giggled and started walking. They kept on walking until they got to a fork on the road. Toph felt the ground for any vibrations.

"I feel a lot of vibrations. It feels like tanks! At least five or so."

They chose the road that didnt have tanks coming down it for some reason. Then, out of the blue came a flaming arrow. Then came two, then three! They just kept coming and eventually Toph was pinned up against a tree while Katara ducked into a bush.

"Don't worry Toph, I'll go get Aang and we will get you down from there."

"Okay but hurry, I'll try to delay them as much as I can."

Before Toph could say anything else, Katara vanished, not knowing what attacked them. She had an idea though. Fire Nation. It's not suprising to be attacked at least once a day. It's become a daily habit, like brushing your teeth. You just couldn't do anything without running into trouble.

_(Meanwhile)_

"Sokka, do you think it was a good idea to split up like that?"

"Sure, I mean, what could possibly go wrong?"

Aang wasn't sure. He didn't like leaving Katara. He couldn't lose her like he lost the monks. He thinks he needs to be there for her, to make up for when his people were attacked and he wasn't there.

_(On the otherside of the forest)_

"Hurry up Twinkle Toes!"

Toph was being ambushed by Fire Nation soldiers. The same soldiers from the North Pole. But Toph wouldn't recognize them, she doesn't need to.

Katara was running as fast as she could. She didn't want to stop until she found Aang. After a few seconds running she found a lake. _GREAT_, she thought, _NOW ALL I HAVE TO DO IS WAIT AND AANG WILL MEET ME HERE!_ Little did she know that she was on the East lake, and not the West lake where they were going to meet. So she waited and waited. She waited for as long as an hour and then started to panic. She ran back into the forest, right to the hands of a blue masked man...

_(Aang and Sokka)_

"What is taking them so long? We were supposed to meet here an hour ago. I'm hungry."

"Me too Sokka, me too, but we can't just leave. What if they do come?"

"Whatever, I'm gonna find some food."

Sokka started to go into the lake to get some fish when a gaint wave comes crashing down on him.

"You know what, who needs fish when you can have real meat!"

He ran into the forest and saw a bear, not just any bear, a Moose Tiger Bear thingy.

"Ummm...Who said they were hungry, I'm not hungry."

Sokka ran to hide behind Aang for protection, but Aang just stood there, thinking about Katara.

_(Katara)_

"I've been following you for some time now." The man just chuckles and grabs onto her hand tighter.

"Who are you and why are you following me?"

The man pulls off his mask and a handsome, young, and burned face appears. Katara can only look as the man reveals himself. She still can't believe it. She pushes off of him and readies her water whip.

"What do you want from me, Zuko?"

"Can't a man just come by and say hello? Anyway, I came by to ask you if...well...if you would like to...go on a date?"

Katara was so stunned that she completely forgot about Toph.

"Ummm...sure...but I'll be watching you!" Zuko took her back to the lake as the sunset. Looking at the sunset Katara blushed and said, "It's beautiful."

"It's not the only thing that's beautiful here."

She blushed even more. She had never been on a real date before. She didn't know what to expect. Then, she started to pretend to fall into the water to see if Zuko would catch her. He did and they both fell in. Holding each other tightly, they started to kiss and swim back to shore at the same time. When they reached land, Katara stood up and started to kiss him somemore.

"You know what Zuko? I never told anyone this but, I think I like you."

"Same here about you."

They just stared at each other for about a minute.

"Hey, I found a cave up ahead, why don't you come up there and dry off. I'll get a fire going."

"Sounds great."

They started up the hill and came to a narrow cave entrance. When they went inside, Zuko lit up the way. Inside, There were fireflies and glow worms everywhere. All making the shape of a heart in an abstract kind of way.

"Lets camp out here for the night."

"Okay."

Zuko dimmed the lights and layed up against the cave wall. Katara came up and fell asleep on his chest. The night went on.

_(Later on that night)_

Katara heard footsteps coming up the hill. As she got up, an arrow hit her in the shoulder and she fell. In pain, she cried out to Zuko as soldiers came in the cave.

"Katara! Unhand her now!

"Not a chance, she will lead me to the Avatar and will hand him over to our father."

Azula stepped in. Zuko stood up and pulled out his blades and set them on fire.

"Come now Zuzu, you don't expect to kill me with those, do you?"

"If you don't let her go, you'll find out."

Azula ignored him and walked off. As many as a dozen soldiers blocked Zuko's way to getting to his beloved Katara. But he would not let them stop him from saving her. He blew right through them like they weren't even there and headed for Azula. Azula turned and hit Zuko in the face with a fireball.

"Careful Zuzu, you don't want another scar, do you?"

Zuko struck again but Azula vanished into thin air. Only Katara and him were left standing there.

"What happened, Zuko?"

"I don't know."

Then, they heard something in the bushes, it was more soldiers! Now they were surrounded.

"Katara run! Get out of here! Go find help, I'll hold them off as much as I can!"

Katara stood frozen in her tracks, now remembering Toph's words. She started to cry. Zuko was getting hit by multiple fireballs. When there was a delay in the attack, Zuko turned to Katara.

"Go now!"

He shot a fireblast at her. She ran and cried until Zuko couldn't see her anymore. When he turned back around, he was hit with more fireballs. He easily deflected them with his swords, but now more soldiers were coming. They pressed on and showed no mercy for traitors. They hit Zuko with everything they had. Finally, one hit him directly in the chest and he fell. He started to cry as he was thinking about how he failed Katara.

"Katara! I'm sorry, I'm nothing but a failure! I can't do anything righ--"

He passed out. The soldiers, thinking he was dead, walked right on passed him. They eventually caught up with Katara.

"Let go of me! HELP! ZUKO!"

The soldier tied her up to a tree and started to ask her where the Avatar was. She didn't answer him. She just kept screaming out Zuko's name. The soldier wasn't very patient. He hit Katara and yelled at the top of his lungs. Zuko got up and headed slowly to where Katara's cries were coming from. He finally got to the site and he pulled out his blades and set them on fire yet again.

"This is your last chance, either you let her go or you die."

"Zuko!" She was full of tears and bruises and the sight of her set Zuko off.

_"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!?"_

He didn't wait for an answer, He just charged right at the man and cut through his chest. He untied Katara and gave her a hug.

"Come on, we don't have much time."

They ran out of the forst and found the west lake. There was nobody there.

"At least we're safe now. Are you all right Katara?"

"Yeah...actually no. I promised Toph that I would get help and I failed her."

"There is no need for two failures here, come on."

They headed down the path and got to the fork in the road again.

"She went this way!"

They both ran, side-by-side, to get Toph back. When they got to the end of the road, an arrow came and hit Zuko in the chest and he fell in pain. Katara saw where the arrow came from and wipped the marksman and he fled. Now, she looked down at Zuko, the one who saved her, and started to cry.

"No, NO! Don't die on me!"

"Katara, I'm sorry"

"No, don't be, I had a great time, despite the fact I was kidnapped."

He smiled and touched her hair.

"Don't...Fail...Her...Go...Find...Toph..."

There was only silence. Katara kissed Zuko and promised him she would come back for him. When she was gone, Zuko smiled.

"I love you, Katara..."

Zuko faded away...

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I need good reviews to pass on to Kody! It's different, but come on guys, he just realized his Zutaraness yesterday! Give the guy some credit! _(happy dance)_

Jenn/Kody


	9. A Kiss Goodbye

Finally, here's the Taang I promised! For those of you who watched The Earth King last night, this is based a little from that. And go check my profile for the link to the trailer for the season finale!

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She watched him every day. She watched him falling all over himself trying to impress her. He'd make her things and do silly tricks all for her attention. And Sugar Queen never knew what to make of it. She knew Aang liked her and it wasn't her fault, but Toph couldn't help but feel jealous of the attention she got from him. Katara didn't want the attention, but Toph did.

Today, she knew she had to do something about it because he was leaving. She could feel Aang getting nervous and heard him start to say something to Katara.

"Katara, there's something I've been wanting to tell you for a long time."

"What is it, Aang?"

Before he could say it and before Sokka could interject, Toph stomped over to them, grabbed Aang's hand, spun him around, and kissed him. Katara jumped back, clearly not expecting that. Sokka took on a look of surprise, but Aang was the most confused. When she stepped back, he had a goofy grin on his face and all the muscles in his body were visibly relaxed.

"Have fun at the Eastern Air Temple, Twinkle Toes."

"Um.. okay!" he said, still grinning as he jumped up on Appa. Sokka climbed up next and they took off, leaving Katara and Toph on the ground with the king.

Katara crossed her arms over her chest and smiled. "Thanks for cutting off the "I love you" speech. Did you plan that?"

Toph grinned up at the older girl. "Nope, but I'm glad I did it."

---------------------------------

Yay! R&R!

Jenn


	10. Far Away

Some of you already know I have the lyrics to this on my profile, but I decided to describe the video I see in my head everytime I hear this song. It's amazing, I'm serious. I just wish I was an animator lol.

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_This time, this place _

_Misused, mistakes _

_Too long, too late _

_Who was I to make you wait?_

Zuko was sweeping out the tea shop, preparing to close for the night. He opened the front door and swept the dirt out onto the empty street. He paused for a moment to look out at the orange and pink sky. An image of the Water Tribe girl's necklace flashed through the sky and he closed his eyes to remember her. He quickly shut the door, threw the broom aside, and stomped up to the apartment.

_Just one chance, just one breath _

_Just in case there's just one left _

_Cuz you know, you know, you know_

Iroh knew. Zuko hadn't told him anything conciously, but apparently he talks in his sleep. Zuko was in love with the Avatar's friend. He watched his nephew sit on their couch with his head in his hands. He was proud of his nephew for falling in love with a good girl, but at the same time was disappointed for not doing anything about it. The Avatar was in the city, they knew that.

Zuko looked up at his uncle and received a weak smile and a pat on the shoulder. He understood. Zuko sighed and flung himself back on the couch and closed his eyes. He fell asleep thinking about her. Katara.

_I love you, I loved you all along _

_And I miss you, been far away for far too long _

_I keep dreaming you'll be with me and you'll never go _

_Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore_

She was right there in front of him. He couldn't stop the smile that came at the sight of her. He cautiously reached out for her, but she disappeared. He felt as if the breath had been knocked out of him. He could hear music, then another scene unfolded before his eyes. She was in the middle of a dance floor, surrounded by dancing couples.

_On my knees, I'll ask _

_Last chance for one last dance _

_Cuz with you I'd withstand _

_All of hell to hold your hand_

He bowed before her and held out his hand, hoping and praying to Agni that she would take it and dance with him. And she did. He grinned like a child and pulled her close, never wanting to let go. They spun around and he picked her up, the same childish grin mirrored in her face. Then it all dissolved and he shot up off the couch he'd accidently fallen asleep on.

He didn't have time to think, refused to give himself time to think. If he'd thought for just a second, he may have stopped himself from running out the door, but he didn't think. He only let his feet lead the way.

"I won't give up," he panted as he ran through the dark streets of the city.

_I'd give it all, I'd give for us _

_Give anything but I won't give up _

_Cuz you know, you know, you know_

He ran. He ran through the entire lower ring and straight through to the upper ring. Before he knew it, he'd stopped in front of a beautiful house and knew who it belonged to. Once again, he didn't give his mind time to think and register what he was about to do. He knocked on the door.

Katara was the only one still awake in the house, so she answered it and was surprised to see who was there. She gasped and was about to shut the door and wake the others, but she couldn't bring herself to. He held up his hands to show he wasn't there to hurt anyone. She looked directly into his golden eyes and listened carefully as he started talking.

_"I love you, I loved you all along _

_I miss you, been far away for far too long _

_I keep dreaming you'll be with me and you'll never go _

_Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore"_

She was stunned. Completely and utterly surprised that Zuko, the same Zuko that had chased them all over the world and tried to kill them so many times, _that_ Zuko was in love with her. And she couldn't say she didn't feel the same. She'd had a secret crush on him for some time and her heart was cheering at the words that he'd just said to her and how beautifully it came out.

_So far away, so far away _

_Been far away for far too long _

_So far away, so far away _

_Been far away for far too long_

She looked behind her and saw Aang sitting there. She thought he'd already gone to sleep. He'd heard the whole thing. He looked up at her sadly and she could hear his heart breaking, but he nodded to her approvingly. She looked back at the anxious Zuko, grinned, and leapt into his arms. Surprisingly, he wasn't caught offguard.

_You know, you know, you know _

_I wanted, I wanted you to stay _

_Cuz I needed, I need to hear you say_

The words he'd said were still rolling around in her head, so she devised a response similar to it. She knew he wanted her to say something. He was just enjoying the closeness, their first real hug, their first encounter in a long time. As she hugged him, she whispered into his ear.

_"I love you, I loved you all along _

_And I forgive you for being away for far too long _

_So keep breathing cuz I'm not leaving you anymore _

_Believe it, hold onto me, never let me go"_

Aang stepped out onto the porch and leaned against the post, watching his best friend and his old enemy embrace each other as if they were lovers. He had longed to feel that from her since they met, but he was glad for her anyway. As many times as Zuko had tried to capture him, he knew that he was a good guy. The Blue Spirit proved that.

Toph walked out on the porch and smiled. The other body in front of the house had woken her up and she recognized it, so she had come to make sure everything was okay. She could feel Sugar Queen and Angry Boy hugging and, blushing, she reached out and took Aang's hand. He looked back at her and smiled, gently squeezing it. Maybe he would get his girl after all.

_Keep breathing cuz I'm not leaving you anymore _

_Believe it, hold onto me, never let me go_

Zuko spun Katara like he had in his dream and the same childish grin spread across her face. He loved her. She loved him. Perhaps his life wasn't so bad now after all. He pulled her close again and relished the feeling of the embrace.

Toph felt Sokka coming out. He had his boomerang and was wiping his eyes sleepily, then grew wide awake at the sight of Katara in Zuko's arms. He gave out a loud yell and started running, but Toph encased his feet in stone and he faceplanted into the steps. She laughed at the little fit he was throwing, trying to get out of the stone to get his sister away from the bad man that was holding her.

Katara held Zuko as if he would disappear any second like in her own dreams. She didn't care that her brother was yelling or even that the world would disapprove. She never wanted to let him go.

_Keep breathing, hold onto me, never let me go _

_Keep breathing, hold onto me, never let me go_

"I love you," he whispered. "I'll never let you go."

------------------------------

When he spins her around, think of this picture: http://www.deviantart. com/deviation/37785884/?qo45& qby3Azutara-shewolf777&qhs ort3Atime+ -in3Ascraps

Just take the spaces out and go. Don't forget the season finale is Friday and Kataang is dead!! If you've seen the 3rd preview for it, you know. Not to mention there's an episode actually called Zutara in Season 3!! Season 3, Episode 8, Original air date: 19 March 2007. I have very good sources, huh? _(happy dance)_

Jenn


	11. Blind

He's more blind than I thought. She doesn't love him. Not in that way, anyway. She loves all of us the way a mother loves her children or siblings love each other. Not Zuko and Azula, but.. Katara and Sokka. She may be annoying and bossy, but I know it's for the best and I appreciate her for it. Everyone appreciates it, but Iroh and Aang are the only ones who voice it.

Zuko was a little unexpected though. I would've never guessed if Iroh hadn't told me about catching him staring at her over the fire. Well, never would've guess a couple weeks ago. Every time Iroh addressed him about it, he'd get an attitude and go meditate. He's in love with her too.

Truth is, I'm a little jealous that she's getting all the attention. I've never been one to seek attention, but lately something's been changing. Scarface, I don't really care about. He seems like a loner from what I've seen since he joined the group and what Iroh told me of him. I can respect that because I was that way too. Aang is different though.

I started noticing little things about him during the last couple weeks or so. He was always taking it easy on me during practice, but in a real battle facing real enemies he never held back. I wasn't sure if I should feel special or hammer down on him more. Then about a week ago, he saved me from drowning when I was looking for him and Katara and fell in the river. I'd never realized how much affect our training sessions had on his muscles and I liked it. The day after that, he offered to teach me how to swim. I thought it would be kinda cool to learn, but I can't see anything in the water and that terrified me. He promised to be my eyes.

Yesterday, I saw something I don't think I was meant to see. Aang and Iroh were firebending and Sokka was out fishing, so I sat around camp bored. I could sense something and went to check it out, only to find Scarface and Sugar Queen playing. They were sparring, I assume, then he tackled her. Constantly full of surprises, he leaned down and kissed her. I kept my mouth shut about it, but couldn't help but think of Aang.

I know he loves her and I know I'm not her, but maybe one day he'll realize she's in love with someone else and move on. And when he does, I'll be here. I'll keep him rock-like and make sure he knows there's more than just Katara to go to for support when he crumbles. I've realized something about myself as well. I love him. And he's blind to that as well.

He came strolling back into camp from firebending practice. "Hey Toph, what's up?"

"Aang, can we talk?"

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**Ha! It's a Zutara _and_ Taang! R&R!**

**Jenn**


	12. Pranks

"The Earth King sends his best and your father and I will be home in a couple weeks. Kenai, take care of your sister. If you need anything, your Uncle Sokka is there. Love, Mom." 

Kenai looked over the letter a couple more times before Mika snatched it from his hands. "I don't need you to take care of me!" she squealed as she read it over. "I'm 14, I can take care of myself!"

In seconds, the letter was in flames as it fell to the marble floor. Kenai frowned down at it before putting the fire out with water from the fountain just through the garden door beside them. He crossed his arms over his chest and shifted his eyes to his little sister, a smirk gracing his features.

"Well, I'm 17 and Mom left me in charge, so you have to do what I say."

"I'd rather Uncle Sokka be in charge, he's more fun," Mika pouted.

Kenai got a mischevious look in his eyes that Mika recognized all too well. "Speaking of fun.." He crept down the hall and peaked around the corner. "Right on time," he whispered, waving Mika over.

He had a handful of water ready in front of him and he cautiously lowered it to the floor and directed it to the middle of the intersecting hallway, freezing it there. Mika held back a giggle when she realized what he was doing. The next thing they heard was a loud thump, a yell, and the sound of papers fluttering to the ground.

The two teens peeked around the corner and burst out laughing at the sight of the almighty Warrior Sokka on his face covered in papers. He gave them his best evil glare and wondered to himself why he didn't just ask Ty Lee for help when watching them. She seemed to connect better with them, probably because they could never get her in one of their infamous pranks. She was always more alert and had faster reflexes. But, unfortunately, she'd taken this week to visit with her circus friends out in the Earth Kingdom.

"Kenai, come here!" he yelled, finally standing himself up and careful to avoid the ice.

Kenai, still laughing, walked out to face his uncle. "Yes, Uncle Sokka?"

Sokka's hard glare stood for another few seconds before he let out a wide grin. "That was pretty good. I'll get you back though."

The young prince laughed again, then ran off down the hall, dragging a protesting Mika behind him. Sokka was left picking up the papers he'd been looking over and smiling to himself. _They're too much like me sometimes_, he thought.

Mika was dragged out into the garden before she finally broke free of her brother's grip. Kenai was still laughing and Mika looked at him funny. "What'd he say?"

"He's gonna try to get us back," he said, finally calming down some. "Him! Get **US** back!"

"He said that?" Mika giggled. "What a kidder."

She flipped her pigtails back over her shoulders and flopped to the ground under a large tree. Kenai practiced his waterbending near the fountain and when his sister wasn't looking, he sent a water whip at her and left a red mark on her exposed upper arm. First, a look of shock crossed her face as she examined it. It quickly turned to anger and Kenai felt the already warm temperature grow hotter. He knew what was coming next and wondered to himself why he kept teasing her.

"Ow!" she yelled, standing up angrily and still rubbing the red spot. She pulled her hand away and a flame formed in her palm. "You're gonna pay for that!"

She sent a fireblast at him that he narrowly dodged before sending his own ice spikes at her. They melted before they even got halfway to her and he rolled on the ground to dodge another fireball. He gathered a big wave from the fountain and froze her against the tree, but she snorted steam from her nose and melted it to send a barrage of attacks at her brother, which he dodged with increasing difficulty. They both gathered their elements into their hands, forming daggers for hand-to-hand combat.. kind of.

Before either one could get the other, they both fell back in surprise as a bluish-silver object went wizzing in between them. They looked back to see Sokka standing in the doorway with a smirk. He was glad he'd at least startled them.

"What's going on out here?" he asked as he approached the two siblings. "Not even your mom and I fought this much when we were your age." He paused to think for a second. "Actually, the only time we ever fought was when I would say something sexist.. or before me and Zuko really got along.."

Mika rolled her eyes as Sokka kept talking. She glanced at her brother and smiled; he smiled back knowing what she was thinking. He counted down on his fingers at his side, then they both ran forward and pushed Sokka into the fountain.

"Mom and Dad would be proud," Kenai said, putting an arm around his sister as they walked back inside and left Sokka struggling to get out of the water.

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Mika and Kenai belong to **Zutara-Shewolf777** (deviantART member). This was my entry in her recent contest and I decided to post it up here. You know the routine, R&R!

Jenn


	13. This World Can't Tear Us Apart

I cried. I cried until the tears were nonexistent and my eyes were red, then cried some more. I felt drained, both physically and emotionally. They tried to pry me away, but I wouldn't leave. "Not yet," I would say. I couldn't leave until I was sure. Part of my heart didn't want to be, wanted to keep that hope that somehow he'd survived. My healing hadn't had any affect. I tried and tried, but to no avail. I knew it was over.

Zuko had been my other half for so long, it was a wonder I let my friends pull me away after the hours I'd spend over his body. Iroh was as torn up as me, but Toph and Sokka seemed to hold themselves together fairly well. Aang was unconcious, weary from the massive battle that had taken place the night before. I would've cried for him too had he actually been severely injured, but Zuko.. _my_ _Zuko_..

I shrugged off my brother's comforting hand and planted myself face-first into a pillow and continued to cry, willing my body to give up and join my Zuko in the stars. Iroh's hand laid in the spot my brother's had been and I let it be, knowing he was sharing my pain. Nothing would be okay anymore, not for me and not for Iroh. The others.. well, they weren't nearly as close to him. Sokka never liked him until just a couple weeks ago, and Toph had this odd kind of understanding that he was a friend but hardly talked to him still. Aang sparred with him, but other than that ignored him because of our relationship.

When I lifted my head off the pillow, I noticed that only Iroh remained. I assumed the others had gone to take care of my lover's body, give him the proper Fire Nation burial, and do away with that of his father's. I felt sleep tugging at me, but I refused it. When I heard yelling down the hall, I jumped up fully awake as did Iroh.

"Katara!"

"Sokka?!"

"Katara, come _now_!"

And I ran. My legs hurt, my head was pounding, and every muscle in my body throbbed, but still I ran. In the throne room, there stood Toph with Sokka kneeling and cradling Zuko's head. I wanted to cry again, but a small noise stopped me.

"Katara.."

My heart leapt into my throat and I ran to his side immediately, sliding a little across the floor on my knees to hold his hand in my own. "Zuko? Are you okay?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out so he just shook his head no. Tears brimmed my eyes again, but he weakly lifted his hand and gently wiped the corner of my eye with his thumb. I managed a smile and grasped his hand, feeling his weak pulse and trying not to cry for his sake.

"Nephew."

"Uncle.."

"You did very well," Iroh said sadly, kneeling beside me. "You've made me so proud. I love you."

"I love you too, Uncle. And you, Katara."

The tears fell unbidden. "I love you, Zuko."

He smiled and his eyes closed for the last time; I could hear his last breath whish out of his lungs. I laid my head down on his chest, careful to avoid the scorch mark in the center of his chest. I continued to cry, willing my body once again to let go. Then the pain went away and a familiar pair of arms wrapped themselves around me and I looked up into those beautiful golden eyes.

"You didn't have to."

"I wanted to. I wanted to be with you."

He smiled. "Now we're together forever, my waterbender."

------------------------------

**Man, I should've made this a songfic. I think it would've gone pretty good with the song it's named after, "This World Can't Tear Us Apart" by Trivium.**

_All the hate in this world won't stop us now for we have each other  
All the pain in this world can't tear us apart, this love is forever_

**Anyway, yeah, I'm not sure where this came from but I like it. If you're bored, go to my profile and check out a couple of my other stories. I even have previews for 2 sequels I'm writing, so go check'em out! R&R!**

**Jenn**


	14. Kids Will Be Kids

I didn't ask how it happened. I'm not sure if I wanted to know. All I know is when I heard screaming coming down the hall, I thought the worst. It could've been anything from a burgler to someone getting hurt.. or worse. I burst through my daughter's bedroom door and immediately froze. There stood my son, the future Fire Lord, with his head stuck in an antique vase screaming for help while my daughter sat laughing and pointing from her bed.

"H-he's stuck!" Aki laughed, holding her stomach.

"Dad, help me please!"

I rolled my eyes and crossed the room to help pull it off. "You know, you're about at smart as your uncle."

He yelled in pain as I jerked on the vase. It came right off, leaving only his topknot a bit ruffled. "Thanks, Dad."

"You should be in bed, Prince Rikku. You've got an intense training lesson tomorrow morning and you're supposed to join me in the afternoon session of Court as part of your studies, unless you've forgotten already."

"No sir, I haven't, but I'm not tired."

I placed a hand on his shoulder and looked him square in the eye as my uncle had before. "A man needs his rest."

Rikku nodded and left the room and, with a warning glance to Aki, I left as well. I made my way back to my comfortable bed and slipped under the cool silk sheets. A warm arm slid over my stomach and pulled me closer.

"What was that about?"

"The kids were goofing off again," I said. "Go back to sleep, Katara."

---------------------------

**Short but sweet. :D I loved it, but I have no idea where it came from lol. Idk, it confused me. I'm just in a drabble mood lately and it's interfering with the two sequels I have to complete! Gah! Anyway, check out my profile for previews of my In Progress material. Yay! R&R!**

**Jenn**


	15. No Regrets

_So sorry I haven't written anything in a while, I haven't been at home in almost a month and I'm very behind on the sequels I promised my loyal fans. I finally managed to get time away from the baby so I sat down and wrote this really quick so I hope it's okay. I know it's short, but it's good.. I guess. Anyway, here it is.  
_

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There she was. Standing before me, her ocean blue eyes gleaming, swirling with a number of emotions I myself haven't shown in a long time. They were so easy to read, kind of like a book. For some reason, that particular shade of blue was almost.. alluring. She got into her stance and I in mine; she was always ready to fight for that damn boy, that airbender.

"Just hand over the Avatar and I promise I won't hurt you," I told her. She narrowed her eyes at me. Temper, temper.

"You've tried to capture him before and failed! What makes you think this time will be any different?"

Ouch. "Because this time, I have a secret weapon."

"And what could that possibly be?" She actually sounded curious under her sarcastic tone.

I'm not really sure what came over me at that moment. Maybe her eyes were just too much for me (funny how a look can make for a useful weapon, huh?), maybe it was something I'd wanted to do since the first time I saw her cowering beside her grandmother in her dinky village down south.. or maybe it was just to distract her so I could get to that blasted boy.

I kissed her. And I don't regret it.

Her lips were soft and warm, radiating the heat that was her temper. She would make an excellent firebender, but alas she was the exact opposite of myself. I let my hands roam over her back, pulling her closer as she tried to push me away. She tried to say something and I took that opportunity to slide my tongue in her mouth, gently caressing her own. A gasp allowed me to deepen the kiss further and soon her hands stopped pounding on my chest and instead wrapped around my neck. That only further fueled the passion I'd been holding inside for her. This girl. This.. waterbender.

When I pulled back, her cheeks were a rosy pink and she was breathing heavily. Her curiousity was still there in her eyes and I could tell she was confused by the action. I myself was desperately trying to find an excuse to tell her when she asked why I'd done that. But she didn't. She never asked.

Instead, she grabbed the back of my head and kissed me again. And she didn't regret it.

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**I hope that was good. The link to my deviantART account is in my profile and I strongly urge you to go check it out. I finally got some good fanart up! Even a decent picture of the dance from one of the chapters of Fire Behind Blue Eyes (I'll have it up tonight sometime anyway). And it really is good, you should see for yourself. And I have watchers, yay! Well, you know the routine, R&R!**

**Jenn**


	16. Remembered Forever

_So sorry it's been so long, I'm working now and I don't have much time for anything. Anyway, this one is quite sad so I'm warning you ahead of time that you may cry. It's okay, really._

---------------------------------

It was unbearable, to say the least, to see him writhing in pain like that. I could smell the burnt flesh and hear him screaming as Sokka and Katara tried to hold him down so she could heal him. But I knew there was nothing she could do. Nothing anyone could do.

The final battle was over at last, but at a price. So many lives were taken, and though I don't feel bad about some of them like Ozai and Azula, the others were just doing as they were told with a death threat hanging over them. They were going to die either way. And Aang.. he'd changed so much since we first started traveling together and, even though he was annoyingly hyper at first, he grew on me. I would be terribly upset if he didn't make it through the day. Chances are, he wouldn't.

"Toph, bend the earth over his feet and hands so he can't move!" Katara yelled.

I did as I was told, though it hurt to do so. Katara's hands covered his chest and his breathing grew slightly more rapid, as well as his heartbeat. A tear rolled down my cheek but I didn't bother to wipe it away. I didn't care for anyone to see my weakness. I was about to lose my best friend, I think that's worth a few seconds of a public display of weakness.

"No, Aang, we can make it through this! Just like last time! Come on, be strong!" Katara cried. Sokka was standing over her, I could feel his hand resting on her shoulder.

"Katara, I don't think-"

"Don't say it, Toph!" she yelled, pointing a finger at me. "Don't you dare say it! He has to make it!"

But I knew better. I could feel his heartbeat slowing down again, but it kept going. For that reason alone, I hated my way of vision. It wasn't something I could block out, his dying heartbeat. And I hated me. I hated myself for not being able to protect him.

Then I felt his heart beat one last time, and heard his last raspy breath whish out of him. And I cried. Iroh came to comfort me, he was the only one I would allow to do so, but I couldn't stop. He understood and let me continue to cry on his shoulder. I could tell even his nephew felt bad about our situation and seemed to be struggling with something himself. Perhaps, in a way, he could relate to our loss.

Katara screamed and hit the ground with both fists, then fought with Sokka as he tried to pull her away from Aang's body. He even resorted to asking Zuko for help and they dragged her across the completely destroyed throne room. I backed away from Iroh, wiping the tears from my face, and crawled over to Aang's body without caring who saw how rediculous I looked.

I sat beside his body and put a hand on his chest, unfortunately directly on the wound Katara tried to heal. But it didn't matter for I was already covered in dirt and blood from the battle. I knelt over to whisper my last goodbye to my friend.

"You were a great friend, my first friend, and I'll miss you so much. Goodbye, Aang. I love you."

Iroh helped me away, the other two boys practically dragging Katara behind us. It was over and we'd both won and lost. We won the final battle and the opportunity to bring peace back. We lost the last airbender and the last Avatar. Our friend. He will be remembered forever.

----------------------------

**I told you it was sad. Anyhow, if you're still a fan of my work, check out my deviantART account. I know I've been trying to promote it, but I got new fanart up and an updated version of Fire Behind Blue Eyes on there. Apparently I take more care of that account than this one. Still no word on the premiere date for Avatar, but I have heard that M. Night Shymalan has started writing the script for the Avatar movie. Yay for that at least, right? I hope I'll be able to update soon, I know some people are missing me and I apologize.**

**Jenn**


	17. Water

_Nothing big, I've had this sitting on my computer for a while and finally decided to post it. There may be a sequel to it sharing Katara's outlook, but I'm not sure yet. Anyway, enjoy!  
_

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Every night, she would sit there. She would sit by the fire and watch it, looking to be in a trance of sorts. And he would watch. He was always in his sleeping bag far away from the group, pretending to be asleep, but he always watched. He watched the way her blue eyes seemed to cloud over when she was in deep thought, the way her head jerked when she realized she was about to fall asleep, the way her jaw moved side to side when she was trying to figure out a problem, and he loved all of it. They fought endlessly every day, but he loved watching her at peace.

One night she snuck off after she was sure everyone was asleep. He'd been watching her for over a week and didn't intend to stop just because she moved. He took a quick look around camp, then slipped out of his bag and climbed up into the tree beside him to follow her quietly. He knew there was a stream nearby, they'd found it when he and Sokka went scouting around the area before setting up camp, and that's where he knew she was going.

Humming reached his ears, a soft soothing sound that carried easily on the light winds, and he followed it to the stream. There she was, standing under the light of the full moon and moving ever so gracefully with the water that was her element. The song she was humming sounded strangely similar to one his own mother used to sing to him when he was sick. She stopped humming and started singing the words, bending as smoothly as she sang.

_Sleep away, young princess And I will be right here To keep you safe, my princess,  
Should danger linger near_

_Sleep away, young princess For you will overcome And in the morn', my princess,  
Your danger shall be gone_

She started to sing it again but froze, water still in the air above her head. Zuko panicked, hoping she hadn't heard him in the trees. But she had. She turned quickly with a water whip ready beside her.

"Who's there?" she called with a steady voice, though a hint of fear gripped her inside.

"My mother used to sing that to me when I was sick," he said, jumping down from the tree in front of her. "Well, she called me a prince as opposed to your princess."

She eased her stance, but didn't back down. "What are you doing following me?"

"Curiosity," he replied simply, moving forward. "Where did you learn that song?"

This time, she dropped her whip back into the stream and sat down on the bank. He took it as an invitation and sat beside her. "My mother sang it to me when I was sick too.. before she died. She said it was a very old song, one that was even sung to my Gran Gran back home. I think she said it was an old Earth Kingdom song from around the time of the first 100-Year War."

"That's what my mother told me too, but she said never to tell my fath- er, Fire Lord Ozai that. He wasn't much for songs, especially ones that derived from other nations, but it was one I liked." He watched her play absently with the water for a minute, then a playful smile came to his lips. "Spar with me?"

"I have the advantage."

"It's just a spar, no harm."

"Okay."

The two benders jumped to their feet and sparred until near dawn, where they would pick up their usual routine of fighting about everything. But only Toph noticed something had changed between them. She couldn't quite place it, but she had a feeling Zuko had gotten a closer look at the water.

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**Sequel? Yes or no, you tell me. It wasn't all that great, I'll go ahead and say that. It actually kinda reminded me of a fanart I came across on deviantART. www. deviantart. com/ deviation/ 34483938/ Just take the spaces out and go!**

**Jenn**


	18. Fire

Ever since their friendly spar a couple weeks ago, things had changed between Zuko and Katara. The only one who'd noticed so far was Toph because the two hid it well during the day with their constant bickering, but at night after everyone was asleep, they would walk to the nearest stream together and pick up where they left off the night before. 

Katara couldn't quite place exactly what was different, or even how the difference came about, but it was something she liked. Sure, the fighting could get a little old sometimes, but there was always the promise of the midnight spar they shared. They talked very little during their alone time together, but that was okay. Until this night, anyway.

When they reached the stream, Zuko took his usual stance. He waited for Katara, but she just looked at him. When she sighed and sat down beside the water, he knew something was on her mind. He wasn't sure he was ready to talk to her just yet, but he could at least listen if something was bothering her.

"Something wrong?" he asked as he took a seat beside her.

Her worried blue eyes met his curious gold ones. "Is this how it's going to be every day? Argue all day and secretly spar all night?"

A confused look swept over his face. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"Why don't we ever talk?"

"I don't want to talk."

"Why not?"

He stood up. "I just don't want to. Now, are we going to spar tonight or not?"

Katara got to her feet to face him full-on, even though she was just shorter than him. "Not until you tell me what's going on in there."

"I told you I don't want to talk," he repeated.

"Why?" she nearly cried at him.

"Because I'm not ready, okay?!"

She looked startled when he yelled at her and he looked away. "Zuko.. what aren't you ready to talk about? I mean, if you can't tell me after everything we've been through the last few months, who _can_ you tell?"

"I-"

"I was there when you were still Prince of the Fire Nation, granted we were on different sides then. We've fought against each other and side by side. You've betrayed me and my friends, yet you're here with us now as part of our family. Not once did I ever truly hate you, not even when I was tied to a tree and you were flirting and taunting me with my mother's necklace."

"Hey, I wasn't-"

"All I kept saying to myself was "He was born on the wrong side, he's only doing what he thinks is right," and now you've found your rightful place, here with us. After all that, I still have faith in you and I trust you. Why can't you trust me?"

"I-" He hesitated, and when he finally brought his pain-filled eyes back up to meet hers, he fell to his knees with his head in his hands. Katara knelt down in front of him and pulled him into a hug, one she felt he needed just then.

"Just let it out, Zuko," she whispered gently. "No one is here to judge you."

Those words broke the dam on the poor prince's heart, those exact words that his mother had once said to him when he was younger. And he did as she said. It all came out at once and Katara sat quietly and listened, still holding him and comforting him as the horrible memories of his childhood flooded his mind and tears streamed down his unscarred cheek. When he came to the story of his scar, she couldn't help but cry with him. She wouldn't know what to do if her father had ever done something like that to her or Sokka.

"Zuko, I'm so sorry," she said when he finally finished.

He sat up and wiped his damp cheek on his sleeve. "Don't be. I don't need anyone's pity."

"No, I guess you don't. I think what you need is for someone to tell you it's going to be okay." She tilted his face up so that he was looking at her, their foreheads touching. "It's going to be okay, Zuko. Everything will turn out fine, you'll see."

Then he leaned forward and closed the few inches between them, cupping Katara's face in his hands as he laid a gentle kiss on her tender lips. He pulled away and was about to whisper a "thank you" but she practically jumped at him for another kiss, this one with a little more passion that she never would've guessed was there for him until then. He wasn't complaining though.

He wound his fingers in her loose hair and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into his lap. Her arm slid around his neck and she ran her fingers through his shaggy hair, smiling on the inside at how cute it was at that length. They pulled away to take a breath, then dove right back in. They didn't care that they didn't have their usual spar tonight. They'd found something else in each other, something they'd both needed.

The next morning, Toph knew what had happened between them. Though they argued still, she'd been awake through the night, determined to find out why they were both gone when she woke in the middle of the night the last couple weeks. But now she wasn't the only one who knew. Being the perceptive old man he was, Iroh had seen every innocent glance they threw at each other that morning and every faint blush that painted Katara's cheeks at the slightest smile at him that no one else noticed. He knew she had finally gotten a deeper look into the fire.


	19. Apologies

_WAIT! Before you read the first paragraph or so, I just wanna say that this is my theory for that BS Maiko screenshot on ASN. And I wanted to apologize for not updating in so long. Mixture of lack of inspiration, no free time (cuz of work), my husband left me, I moved, my sister just had a baby, and my cousin just died. Yep, all that's happened since my last update. Anyway, enjoy! I may do a sequel to this one if I can find time cuz I wanna get Zuko's reaction to seeing Katara's new look. XD_

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Mai suppressed the sudden urge to let out a girlish giggle as Zuko's warm cheek brushed against hers. She looked up into his eyes and smiled. Yes, this was what she'd wanted for so long, and even now it didn't seem real. Yet there they were, her back to him as he leaned over her shoulder and kissed her.

"Zuko," she whispered as they broke away. "I love you. I always have."

He let himself smile back. "Mai.. I don't."

Her eyes widened for a split second before she fell to the floor unconcious; thanks to Ty Lee, Zuko had learned a couple new tricks. He dug around in her pockets and pulled out the set of keys he knew she had, then took off quickly to the dungeon. It was hard to walk fast in armor after you haven't worn it in months, but his body recognized the weight and it became easier.

When he approached the cell, he dismissed the guards and entered. Iroh was facing the wall opposite Zuko. The young firebender knew what was going through the old man's mind, but was determined to set things right.

"Come to break me free, nephew?"

Or at least he thought he knew. He took another step forward. "Uncle, I made a mistake and I ask your forgiveness. No, I beg."

Iroh turned to see his once proud nephew kneeling on the wet, grimey floor with his head bowed. The retired general was actually shocked at the sight, but took into consideration Zuko's recent illness and blamed his decision in the catacombs on that. He smiled and nodded.

"You are forgiven, Prince Zuko. I know why you did what you did and I'm glad you found it to be a mistake on your own and come to correct it."

Zuko stood back up, but didn't bother to wipe the muck off his uniform. "I can help you get out of the palace, but that's the furthest I can go without Azula's suspicion. When you leave the city, go southeast. I heard rumors that that's where the bison was headed and I think they're going to the Eastern Air Temple for refuge. The Avatar needs a firebending teacher, they'll gladly take you in."

"What are you going to do here?" Iroh asked curiously.

"Keep Azula off your tail and make sure she doesn't find you or them," he replied softly.

Iroh stood and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You _have_ changed, nephew."

Zuko lowered his head again. "Could you please tell Katara that? Tell her.. tell her I'm sorry."

The old man chuckled and Zuko narrowed his eyes at him, but Iroh just patted his shoulder. "Zuko, your mother would be so proud."

This time his smile was real. "Thanks, Uncle. Now, let's get you out of here."

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**Hopes you loved it!**

**Jenn**


	20. Forgive Me

Zuko went to bed that night, thoughts racing but happy nonetheless. They had accepted him into their group. Well, kind of. The Avatar did, the earthbender did, and the Water Tribe boy sort of did. Katara, though, would be a challenge to convince that he was really good now. He had been sweating when the Avatar asked her if she was okay with it, and he knew that she really wasn't. He couldn't blame her though, after what he had done to her in Ba Sing Se. 

"I should go apologize to her," he whispered to himself. He sat up and looked out the window at the night sky. "No, it's too late tonight. I'll talk to her in the morning. No, I have to start teaching the Avatar in the morning. What is his schedule during the day anyway? I'll find out tomorrow and decide when I should talk to her. I need time to plan what I wanna say anyway."

He laid back down and stared at the ceiling for a little while, thinking about what exactly he would say to her. How on earth could you apologize for trying to kill someone after you had just shared secrets about your past with each other? _i was such an idiot. I don't know if I can make it up to her. But I need to try._

The next morning began the Avatar's training. Zuko was up at sunrise as usual, and began his morning meditation beside the pool of water where they had fought "Combustion Man", as Sokka had called him. He set up four candles and lit each of them, then sat down in his usual meditative position.

_Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, ex-_

"Good morning, Sifu Zuko."

Zuko opened his eyes to see the young airbender staring down at him. He smiled up at the boy, receiving a small smile in return. Zuko scooted over and patted a spot beside him in front of the candles. Aang bowed slightly and took the offered seat beside his former enemy. They sat in silence for a minute before Zuko disturbed it.

"So, Av- I mean, Aang. You said you've firebended before. How much did you learn?"

Aang kept his eyes on the candles. "Just how to stand and breathe and feel the sun, pretty much, but I got impatient with one of my lessons and burned Katara while I was trying to show off."

Zuko nodded. "So, you know how to manipulate the flame, just not how to start or control it, right?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"Do you meditate?"

Aang looked up at him. "I was taught how to meditate by my airbending master at the Southern Air Temple. All monks are taught at a young age."

Zuko nodded again. "My uncle taught me. He said that meditating helps keep your mind steady before and after firebending and, sometimes, can be a good starting place when first learning to firebend."

Aang turned his eyes back to the candles, as did Zuko. "Concentrate on one candle and let it breathe with you. As you inhale, the flame will grow. When you exhale, the flame will die down with your breath. Try it."

The younger boy took a deep breath, already feeling a bit impatient with his lessons because he already knew this stuff, but he wanted to do it the right way this time or he could burn someone else. He concentrated on the candle closest to him and willed it to move. He could feel Zuko's eyes on him, watching him as he tried unsuccessfully to move the flame.

Zuko placed a hand on Aang's shoulder, making the boy jump. "Firebending comes from the breath. Don't make it move with your mind, let it flow with your breath. Keep in mind that you can do this, you are the Avatar. Firebending is in your blood and your heart. It's a part of who you are."

Aang glanced up at him and, for a second, saw something unfamiliar flash through the prince's eyes. He looked back at the candle and thought over Zuko's words. _Firebending is in your blood._ This time, he didn't will the fire to move. He just watched the flame and took deep breaths. He imagined the flame in his chest growing bigger and smaller with each breath and soon the flame of the candle started mimicking it.

"Very good."

A smile grew across Aang's face when he realized he was not only doing it, but being complimented by his teacher for his small accomplishment. "So that's how a firebender meditates?"

"Yeah." Zuko looked behind him to the sky, which was slowly starting to grow lighter and lighter, signaling that the others would be up soon. "Have you discussed your training schedule with your other teachers yet?"

Aang shook his head. "I was hoping we could all sit down and do that today. I've already mastered waterbending and I think I got earth too, but I still need to practice them. Maybe after everyone wakes up and eats breakfast, we could do that."

"Sounds like a plan," Zuko agreed as he stood. "So, when is breakfast?"

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Katara woke up in an odd mood. The memories of what had happened the day before were still fresh in her mind, but now they had a better chance of defeating the Fire Lord with Aang learning firebending. From Zuko. With her eyes still closed, she furrowed her brow in confusion as a delectible smell reached her nose.

_I'm usually the one that does the cooking,_ she thought.

Her eyes fluttered open to see a bowl sitting on her table with steam rising off the top. She looked around her room, but no one else was in there. Finally, she sat up slowly and peeked into the bowl. It looked as delicious as it smelled, and she was very curious as to who had made it. But, of course, she was going to eat first.

Once she had finished her breakfast, she dressed and fixed her hair, then went in search for the others. She went out to the dining hall, but no one was there. When she went outside, she found Zuko and Aang sitting together talking. She started to turn back and go inside, but Aang had seen her.

"Katara, over here!" he called.

She sighed deeply, then trekked over to where they were sitting by the pool of water. She could feel Zuko's gaze on her, but avoided his eyes. "Yeah, Aang?"

"Did you find your breakfast? We didn't want to wake you so we left it by your bed."

Katara smiled. "Yeah, I found it. It was delicious. Who made it?"

Zuko stood and tried to return her smile. "That would be me. I picked up a thing or two from my uncle while we were in Ba Sing Se."

He winced instantly when he mentioned the city and Katara noticed, but kept her attention on Aang. "Was there anything you needed?"

Aang nodded to her. "Yeah. We were needing to discuss a schedule for my training. Since I have all my teachers, I figured we could divide it between the morning, afternoon, and evening. What works better for you?"

Katara thought about it for a second, then devised a schedule on her own. "Since waterbending is strongest at night, we should train in the afternoon to get a better practice. And it would make since that your firebending teacher have you in the morning when the sun is first rising, so Toph can take evenings."

Zuko and Aang glanced at each other, then back at Katara. "Um, okay," Aang agreed. "Sounds good to me."

She turned and started back inside. "I'll see you later then."

Aang looked at Zuko. "She doesn't like you much."

The prince looked down at his hands. "I can't say I blame her. I wouldn't like me much either."

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When the sun reached its peak in the sky, Zuko left Aang to wait for Katara and went to explore the temple. It had been so long since he'd been there, but he still somewhat remembered his way around. He heard a lot of noise coming from one area and headed that way to see what was going on. When he turned the corner to a small courtyard, he found Toph "watching" another earthbender there practicing. She had her hands on the ground to watch his progress as she instructed. The other boy looked about his age and he found himself vaguely wondering how he'd come into their group.

Suddenly, the floor beneath his feet gave way and he was sunk up to his chin. The sound of a girl's laughter filled his ears and he saw Toph on the floor, her face red. "Your heart is beating a hundred miles an hour!" she yelled at him, still laughing. "I told you I'd get you back!"

The other earthbender looked in his direction and released Zuko, receiving him a punch on the arm from Toph. Zuko nodded at the boy, then continued down the hall to see what else there was to find. He heard a sharp noise that he knew well as the sound of a sword coming from another direction and he headed that way. There, he found Katara's brother practicing with a beautiful black-bladed sword. He had no one to practice with, and neither did Zuko, so he decided to make an effort to get along with everyone and ran back to his room for his swords.

"Care if I join you?" he asked Sokka as he entered the large room.

Sokka looked up at the sound of his voice, a confused expression across his face, but nodded and took a stance. "I didn't know you were experienced with swords."

"I was trained at a young age with dual broadswords," Zuko replied as he unsheathed his swords. "In the Fire Nation, we're taught not to rely solely on our bending. Can you handle two against your one?"

Sokka shrugged as Zuko slid into a comfortable stance. "I guess we'll find out, won't we? I have to warn you, though. I was trained by the greatest swordsman in the Fire Nation."

The two boys started circling each other as they talked. Zuko cocked his head a little in confusion. "The Fire Nation? Did they know you were Water Tribe?"

"That's the cool thing. He knew from the start, and knew who I traveled with, and still trained me. He was a little odd though. He gave me a White Lotus Pai Sho tile when I was leaving. I'm not sure what that means."

Zuko nodded and smiled, knowing well who he was talking about. "The White Lotus Society doesn't take sides in the war, no matter what nation they're from. My uncle is a high-ranking member of theirs and one of the Earth Kingdom members helped us escape from bounty hunters and get into Ba Sing Se safely. They're good people. Are we ready now?"

Sokka smiled a little and nodded to him. Zuko made the first move and came across with one sword, taking into consideration their past encounters and going easy on him just in case, but Sokka blocked quickly and nearly knocked the sword from his hand. Then Zuko decided to take him a little more seriously and came at him a little harder, but still not at his full in case two swords were still too much for him.

The smile on Sokka's face grew a little when he realized Zuko was holding back and underestimating him. He came forward unexpectedly, thrusting his sword up towards Zuko's face. Zuko jumped back and blocked it with both swords, stopping it just below his chin. Zuko narrowed his eyes and nodded.

"Full-out spar," Sokka said. "Don't hold back on my account."

The sound of the swords clashing together drew the attention of the others and they came to watch just inside the doorway. Even Katara came running in fear of Zuko's treachery, and watched as her brother sparred with the man that had once betrayed them. Aang's eyes widened and he watched enthusiastically as the boys danced around the room, jumping over tables and on chairs. Zuko even ran up a wall and flipped over Sokka's head, but Sokka had been expecting it and turned in time to block one sword and jump over the other.

"Flame Boy's pretty good," Toph stated aloud.

Katara rolled her eyes. "Pfft! So is my brother."

Toph glanced up at the waterbender from the floor and smiled, shaking her head, then turned her attention back to the two boys. She had to keep her hands on the floor since her feet were still healing and, though it hurt her back, she wanted to watch the fight. Teo was yelling from his wheelchair and cheering Sokka on, as were Aang and Haru. Toph, though, was cheering on Zuko. She was both surprised and impressed that he could bend and sword fight, not to mention keep up with Sokka.

Zuko flipped off a table and ran a few steps before turning quickly and swinging a foot under Sokka, making him fall and land on his back. Zuko jumped up on top of him and crossed his swords over his throat, but Sokka was smiling. He looked down and saw the tip of Sokka's own sword pressing against his stomach.

"Draw?"

The boys nodded and Zuko helped Sokka off the floor as everyone but Katara cheered for them at the door. Zuko patted Sokka on the back. "You're about as good as Jet."

Sokka glanced up at him, thinking he misheard him. "Who?"

"A guy I met a while back, really good with swords."

Sokka furrowed his brow but waved it off for now. Maybe he would ask about it later, when they weren't surrounded by everyone else. They decided to tack their spar sessions into their own training schedule, during Aang and Katara's waterbending training time. It was mostly Zuko's idea so that he would still have free time to talk to Katara.

---------------------------------

When Toph's training time came around, she took both Aang and Haru off to the part of the temple that she and Haru had been earlier. She figured that until her feet were healed, Aang would need someone to spar with. Zuko took that opportunity to go searching for Katara. He'd been thinking about what he would say to her all day, but he wasn't sure it was going to come out the way it sounded in his head. Things never worked out that way, he knew.

He wasn't able to find her anywhere he searched so he decided, as a last resort, to try her room. He was a bit uncomfortable going to her room, but apparently she had no problem entering his unaccompanied. The door was shut when he got there. He lifted his hand to knock, but hesitated. What if she threw something at him?

He took a deep breath. _i have to try. _He knocked softly on the door, his stomach twisting up in knots in his nervousness. He didn't know why he was so nervous. _Maybe because she's the one I have to prove myself to in this group._

"Come in!" she called from the other side.

_She must not have thought I would come here,_ he thought. He cautiously turned the handle and peeked in. She was laying on her bed facing away from him, writing in what looked to be a journal. Her brown hair fell loosely across her back and a couple strands over her left shoulder, framing her tan face. She closed the book and turned to face him, the smile fading from her face quickly.

"Oh, it's you. What do you want? To pretend you're human to make me trust you and then turn around and stab me in the back? Maybe tell me more about your mother disappearing to mock the loss of mine?"

Zuko winced. "I came here to apologize for what I did in Ba Sing Se. I really am sorry and I know it'll just sound like I'm making excuses, but I was seriously ill-"

"Yeah, that's a great excuse," Katara spat. "I'm sorry for trying to kill you, I had a cold!"

"It wasn't that kind of illness," he explained. "My uncle called it a spiritual crossroad. It happened right after I let your bison go. He said my mind was fighting over what was good and bad. I had tried for so long to capture you all, then I did something to help you and my mind was trying to figure out what happened. I was still recovering when Azula attacked the city. She came to me after you left the cave and offered me everything I had been working so hard for during my banishment. It was familiar, and I guess my mind was easily swayed to her side."

Katara crossed her arms and lifted her eyebrow. "So what makes this any different? What makes you think you're better now and you won't turn around and attack us all this time?"

Zuko looked around the room for a second and nodded to a chair. "Do you mind if I sit down at least?"

"Fine."

He pulled up the chair close to where she was sitting on her bed. She payed no mind to their close proximity. "When I returned to the Fire Nation, I had everything I thought I wanted. I had my honor, my throne, my family, and my childhood crush-"

Katara couldn't help the snicker that escaped. Zuko lifted his eyebrow at her and she allowed a ghost of a smile to appear on her face. "You had a girlfriend?"

His eyes found the floor. "I'm not heartless, you know. As I was saying, I had everything I thought I wanted, but it wasn't like I thought it would be. I played the role of the perfect little prince for my father and realized it wasn't me anymore, and I found out some things about my family that I'm glad I found out now. But do you really wanna know why I decided to help the Av- Aang?"

"That would be nice."

His golden eyes finally looked up to meet her icy blue ones and he noticed they softened a bit. He gave her a genuine smile and she found herself unable to stop the smile that appeared on her face as well. "I found out that my two great-grandfathers were best friends when they were young. One of them was Fire Lord Sozin, and the other was Avatar Roku. Aang is my great-grandfather reincarnated, and I feel it's my duty to teach him what I know. He is, in an odd way, family. I promised him, and I promise you, that I won't betray any of you again."

Katara turned away, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "You're just like Jet," she whispered. "He was a boy we met on our way to the North Pole. He led a group of kids called the Freedom Fighters, and they fought the Fire Nation as well. I trusted him, I really liked him, but he used me and Aang to try to wipe out an entire village because it was occupied by the Fire Nation. When we saw him again in Ba Sing Se-" Zuko's eyes widened. "-he said he could help us find Appa, but I didn't think I could trust him again. The Dai Li had captured and brainwashed him and he helped us defeat them underneath Lake Laogai, but their leader..." She sniffled and wiped at her eyes again. "..The leader of the Dai Li.. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but.. I never got to say I'm sorry.."

"He was killed?" Zuko asked, surprised. Katara could only nod. "Until I sparred with Sokka today, he was the only real challenge I'd had in a long time. He was really good with his hook swords, and we got along well until he found out my uncle and I were firebenders. Then he tried to find proof and turn us in to the Dai Li, but they took him away instead because he attacked us at the tea shop I worked at."

She sniffled again and looked up, her blue eyes watery. "You knew him?"

"We were on the same ferry over to Ba Sing Se," Zuko told her. "I helped him and his two friends _"recover"_ some decent food for the passengers. He asked me to join his group, but I knew that it was risky to make friends, being a fugitive and all, so I said no."

Katara looked down at her folded hands in her lap. "I.. I'm sorry. I just don't know how easy it'll be to trust you after that, if at all. Aang almost died because of your decision that night."

Zuko sighed and their eyes met again. "I'm not asking you to trust me, or even forgive me. All I'm asking is for you to accept me."

She looked down at her folded hands again, unable to find the words she wanted to say. She hated to hate people, but after all he'd done, he deserved it. But he was really trying to change for the better, just like Jet. Then again, Jet never tried to kill them. But would he really do that to Aang? Was he even telling the truth about Avatar Roku being his great-grandfather? If only she had Toph with her-

The two of them jumped when a knock on the door resounded through the room. Katara frantically looked around and Zuko got the point and hid behind the door as Katara opened it to find none other than Toph standing there grinning.

"I thought you and Aang were training right now," Katara said, her voice still a tad shaky.

"He and Haru are sparring right now," she replied. "I'm only instructing until my feet heal again. Are you busy?"

"Uh.. well.."

Toph grinned wider. "He was telling the truth," she whispered, "just in case you were wondering. I knew he would come here tonight and I figured you would need me."

Katara gave her a nervous laugh. "Um, thanks, Toph. I appreciate it. Please don't tell anyone. Sokka would freak."

"I know, Sugar Queen, calm down."

With that, Toph headed back down the hall and Katara closed the door. She leaned against it and breathed a sigh of relief, then felt Zuko's eyes on her. She looked over at him and could see in his eyes that he was sincere.

"Why do you need my approval so badly?" she whispered shakily. "Why mine out of everyone's?"

He stepped closer. "Because I feel like you're the one I hurt the most."

She gasped as she felt Zuko fingers brush her cheek and, instinctively, she grabbed his hand. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to trust him again. And, oh, his hand was so warm, she couldn't help but nuzzle into it. Surprisingly, he had very soft hands. She dared a glance up into his eyes, just to see what he was thinking.

"I'm sorry, Katara," he whispered, making her eyes water again.

Her hand tightened around his and his thumb gently brushed her cheekbone, wiping away a stray tear. She felt his other hand brushing her hair away from her face. When she looked up again, her eyes didn't find his, but instead stopped at his lips. She felt as if they were drawing closer, then quickly realized it was her, and as much as she tried to stop herself, she couldn't. Her mind was already made up.

"I believe you," she finally whispered back as she closed the space between them.

Down the hall, a grinning Toph giggled to herself and kept walking, feeling her way back to her students. She knew it was coming. She was the one Katara had confided in about the caves. And, even though Zuko had done wrong, she knew Katara would forgive him. That's what she does best.

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**OMG Such long updates! I'm so sorry, everyone! I haven't had much time to write lately, and the stuff I have been writing isn't Avatar. Anyway, I really hope you all enjoy this update, and I stronly encourage you to go check out my deviantART. I've got a new Zutara fanart up there that you absolutely need to check out!**

** Jenn **


	21. It's Not Hate

Zuko was worried. Toph had told him he heard Katara crying in her room the last few nights since they got back from the Boiling Rock with her dad and Suki. He was split on whether to confront her himself and ask what's wrong, or send Toph to girl-talk with her.

"_I'm_ not going in there," Toph said, picking at her nails. "She's all yours, Sparky. Good luck."

He wrinkled his nose at the nickname, but started in that direction with the help of Toph's firm pat on the back. He stopped a few steps away from her room. Toph was right, you could hear it halfway down the hall. Zuko was actually a little surprised Sokka or Aang hadn't been in there yet. Then again, Sokka had Suki and Aang.. well, he was just Aang.

He knocked lightly on the door and listened. He heard her sniffle a little, then there were some shuffling noises and her door creaked open slightly. She seemed a little surprised to see Zuko there of all people, judging by how wide her bloodshot eyes got. He put a hand on the door, for fear she would try to slam it in his face, but she didn't attempt to.

"Did you want something?" she asked, trying to keep her voice in check.

"Can we talk for a minute?"

Katara seemed to consider it for a second, then sighed and opened the door the rest of the way, Zuko closing it behind him as he entered. He took a seat on a chair near her bed while she climbed back into it and cuddled her pillow. When he looked down into his lap, she took the opportunity to wipe her eyes again.

"Look," he started, "I'm not exactly sure what's wrong, but-"

"Wrong?" she said, looking confused. "Who said there's something wrong?"

"Your eyes. You've been crying. The last few nights, according to Toph."

Katara narrowed her eyes. "I don't see how that's your business."

She stood from her bed and started toward the door, but Zuko was faster and moved to block it. "If you keep it bottled up inside, it'll hurt more, and I don't see you making an attempt to talk to someone else about it. Please, Katara, just talk to me. Did I do something?"

New tears sprang to life in her eyes and he winced, thinking maybe he did. She bit her lip for a moment, then yelled, "Yes! Yes, you did something, you idiot! I'm supposed to _hate_ you! How am I supposed to keep doing that if you go out and rescue my only family? Tell me that! How come I can't hate you anymore?!"

By this time, her tears were dripping from her chin and she was pounding on Zuko's chest, presumably hoping to beat some answers out of him. Zuko was taken aback by her sudden outburst and seemed a little uncomfortable at first, then he slowly grabbed her shoulders and pulled her against his chest and just held her, rubbing her back gently as she cried into his shirt.

"I don't want you to hate me," he whispered into her soft hair. "All that I've done since I came here was try to prove myself. Not to Aang or Sokka or Toph, but to _you_. I wanted to prove myself to you, prove that I really have changed, and it was all because of you that I'm here."

She sniffled a little and pulled away so she could look into his eyes. "Really?"

A corner of his mouth lifted into a half-smile as he brushed his thumb across her cheek, wiping a tear away. "Everything you said to me in Ba Sing Se haunted me the entire time after that. I couldn't stop thinking of you- I mean, what you said. The way you so easily dropped your guard and offered to heal my scar. I was even surprised at how easy it was for me to drop mine as well. I couldn't even do that around my own girlfriend!"

That got a small laugh out of the waterbender, which made Zuko feel proud, like he was actually helping. His smile widened just a little. "What I'm trying to say is, even though we've fought in the past, you're probably the nicest person I've ever met. And a little kindness can go a long way."

Another tear rolled down Katara's cheek and Zuko brushed it away before she could. His hand remained on her face, though, and she found she liked its warmth. It wasn't quite as rough as she had thought it might be, and La forgive her, she had thought about it before. She stared up into his golden eyes, finding nothing but sincerity there. She realized that before, they had always been so closed off. That meant his guard was down. He trusted her that much.

"I- I never said thank you," she whispered. "You know, for saving my dad. And keeping Sokka safe."

"I owed you that much, at least," he replied softly. "After everything I'd done to you. You _personally_."

Just like that, they were back under Ba Sing Se in the green glow of the crystals that surrounded them. Only this time, there was no big explosion of rock or an Avatar or uncle to interrupt them. Katara reached up and lightly traced the bottom edge of his scar with her thumb. He closed his eyes to her cool touch. She was the only one he'd ever willingly let touch his scar.

"I wish I could've healed you anyway," she continued whispering, barely audible.

He opened his eyes and noticed her face seemed a little closer to his. She kept moving in until her lips brushed against his scar where her thumb had just been. His breath hitched in his throat as she kissed along the edge of it. When he remembered to exhale, she felt his hot breath on her throat. She pulled back to look into his eyes again, but he'd closed them again, and she noticed his breath was coming out in short puffs.

"Zuko."

Again, he opened his eyes and found hers looking back. Her arms rested on his shoulders and her fingers played with his hair. He was suddenly nervous and excited at the same time, and that scared him. "Yeah?"

She moved in again slowly, still keeping eye contact with him. Her lips brushed against his and he moved forward slightly to catch them, but she pulled back just enough to keep her lips barely touching his. "I think I forgive you," she whispered before finally giving in and crushing her lips against his.

A whirlwind of passion was released between the two of them, something neither of them expected they had in them when he first knocked on her door. His hands held the back of her head as he backed her into her door, and her own arms were wrapped around his neck tightly. _Of all the people_, she thought distantly before her mind was consumed with Zuko's warmth as well.

Outside, there was a small snicker and light footsteps fading down the hall as Toph went back to her room. "I guess she doesn't hate him after all."


End file.
